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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25544668">The 100% Official Alphabet Squadron Podcast</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo'>JessKo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Star Wars: Alphabet Squadron Series - Alexander Freed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Humor, No spoilers for Book 2: Shadow Fall, Team Bonding, Team Feels, the gang starts a podcast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 10:08:33</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,737</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25544668</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/JessKo/pseuds/JessKo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Caern and IT-O convince the members of Alphabet Squadron to make a podcast, and somehow they all grow a little bit closer in the process.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The 100% Official Alphabet Squadron Podcast</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is just a silly thing I had to write after finishing Shadow Fall because FEELS! Fear not, though, no spoilers ahead as this takes place in the calm after Book 1. </p><p>Many thanks to IrenkaFeralKitty for the wonderful beta and DistantStorm for bouncing ideas for this with me &lt;3 Y’all the real MVPs!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Caern Adan rubbed his temple after gazing down at the white bottom of a disposable cup, caf all gone with nothing but a dark stain along the side to remind him of the stimulant drink. He needed more, but with IT-O blocking the doorway, its large orb-shaped form hovering there, it would require a conversation to acquire. A conversation he was certain would lead to a lecture about how the beverage was not a sleep substitute and how he really ought to be taking better care of himself. So, instead, he listened to the droid drone on about its latest idea for Yrcina Quell's ongoing course of therapeutic treatment. Except, IT-O wasn’t just talking about the woman. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I believe it would help the entire squadron be able to open up and learn something about one another outside of the traditional conversational setting,” the droid concluded with, red photoreceptor narrowing slightly as if to say, ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>Your turn, Adan’.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>Judging by the fact IT-O had bothered to explain the proposal at such length, Adan figured the concept must be of high importance to the droid. But, in his mind he found the idea to be ridiculous. “You want me to interview each of the squad members, record it, and post it on the holonet like a serial?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yes. It is called an audiocast. They are very popular these days.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan sighed. “I know they are, that’s why I don’t want to do it! We don’t need any more ears listening in on this.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“But that is why it would be a good idea to do. By discussing unimportant matters, attention will be drawn away from the missions and goals of Alphabet.” IT-O argued. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Fair, but we both know just how talkative the squad can be. As in not at all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You make my point for me.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan realized there would be no reasoning with IT-O: the droid thought this would work, so it would not give a centimeter until it was done. “Fine. Twenty minutes each, no longer, and only once.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>If Imperial torture droirds could smile, Adan imagined IT-O would be grinning from ear to ear as it replied, “Just once, twenty minutes. I will upload some potential questions to your datapad.” Barely thirty seconds later, Adan’s pad beeped a notification. “There.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>So, after discussing a few more details with the droid, next came the monumental task of recruiting his interviewees. Gathering Alphabet Squadron together in the same room was like herding tooka. Kairos nowhere to be found after a somewhat lengthy search and eventually just considered absent, and that was the easy part. Convincing them to go along with IT-O’s plan on the other hand… Adan prepared for a long fight.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll go first.” Nath volunteered before Adan even made it to the stage of the conversation where he metaphorically got on his knees and begged. Shocked, the Balosaur stood with his mouth slightly agape for just long enough to be noticeable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, uh… Thank you, Nath. IT-O set up a studio for us in one of the unused storerooms down the hall, if you will just come this way…” As he turned his back, he heard chuckling among the Squadron and perhaps even the exchange of credits. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>In the room Adan found fabric hanging on the walls to dampen echo, a table with two chairs, one on each side, and a rather expensive looking audio recording device set on the table’s surface. He’d have to ask later where the item came from, but for now the subject of his attention was sauntering into the room. Adan half expected the man to turn the chair backwards as he sat, but instead he pulled the chair back against the wall and kicked his feet up onto the table. It took some effort to suppress an eye roll as he said, “I’d like to record your voice, not your boots, Nath.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ll make sure my toes stay real quiet for you, then.” The man retorted with a shit-eating grin. Adan understood now why he volunteered first, he hoped to be so irritating that he’d give up on the entire enterprise. Normally, it would work, but unfortunately for Nath, there was one more thing in play that he didn’t realize yet. A thing that would ensure his, and his squadron’s, compliance. So long as they listened to Nath, of course, and something told Adan they would. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Assuming you’ve never listened to an audiocast before…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Can’t say I have, always been more of a face-to-face communication sort of man. I know what they are, though.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Then I presume you also know that they may be free to hear, but the creators do not work out of the goodness of their hearts.” Adan pressed. Nath sat up a bit. “There is profit in making a segment worth listening to. If what we do here today is interesting to a promoter, we would potentially be seeing a profit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Getting paid to chat? Alright, I’ll bite.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So get your feet off the table so the sound quality won’t sound like we’re recording from an abandoned storeroom on an Acclamator-class battleship.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As Nath shifted into a more appropriate position, Adan skimmed over the list IT-O had provided, eventually settling on something that might lead to twenty minutes of Nath detailing some exciting event. He was banking on him and Chass to bring some life to this, it was his only hope of turning the now promised profit, and the only reason he was actually putting any effort into this. Wyl would bring the heart to the cast, a quiet tale from Home perhaps. As for Yrica, well, she’d be a wild card, as likely to open up as a Krayt Dragon, but IT-O would never let Adan live it down if he left out the one person the droid thought would benefit most from this exercise. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Twenty minutes later, Adan wondered if Nath's story would even be legal to air on the Holonet. It involved drunken accidental piracy, two near misses with crime syndicates Nath had all but called by name, and four spaced Ithorian thugs. “And that’s how I got this scar!” Nath concluded, adding in a less excited voice, “For those of you listening, I’m pointing to a nice pink gash in my eyebrow.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan thanked him for sharing, glancing down at the pad’s chrono to realize Nath had gone five minutes over the allotted twenty. Five minutes he’d likely need to pad out Yrica’s turn, so Adan didn't mention it, instead flicking off the audio recorder. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Remember this little exciting chat when you get that audio cast pay day, Adan. I’ll send someone over, just give me a minute to talk to the others.” Nath stood up, but paused before opening the door, “Actually, could you front me some of the credits now? I might owe a couple sentients after all that transpired here.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Deciding arguing with the man would not be worth the breath seeing how Nath would get the others to talk, Adan dug a few credits out of his coat pocket and sent the man on his merry way. The next time the door opened, IT-O floated into the space. “That went exceptionally well, although I am not sure it was wise to promise a profit.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I promised nothing, and it was the only way I could get this to work. You were listening in, no?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I was. I do not agree with your methods, however, the results are indisputably positive.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan chuckled. “A torture droid disagreeing with my methods, now I’ve truly heard it all.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>IT-O sunk down a bit, whirring softly as it descended half a meter. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Sorry, I didn’t mean it that way.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I know.” IT-O said quietly, turning away. “I am not upset, but someone is coming so I will make myself scarce.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan knew the droid did not experience emotions like he did, but he still felt some guilt at the jab. He didn’t have long to consider this, though, as surprisingly, Yrica walked in next. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Adan.” She greeted curtly, pulling the chair back up to the table from where Nath had left it before sitting down. “I take it this was not your idea?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“IT-O believes it will be good for team building. Hear what your Squadron mates have to say when you’re not around, that sort of thing.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yrica seemed to buy it, settling down more comfortably in her seat, but there was still tension held in her body. Adan figured that she thought anything involving the droid would play a part in her therapy. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The question selected for her was a surface level one that could be delved into more if one wanted to, but could also be brushed off quickly. Adan’s plan was just to throw things at the wall until something stuck. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What’s your favorite part about flying?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Yrica was caught a bit off-guard. Adan couldn’t be sure about what she’d expected, but this certainly wasn’t it. Her expression softened, gaze traveling to where the heavy sheets were pinned to the wall, following the dips and drapes as she spoke. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She talked about piloting landspeeders as a child, the wind in her hair and dirt in her face. “One time, I swallowed a sting-fly. My friends all laughed as I gagged, but it was fine, I laugh, too, thinking about it now.” And she did, a genuine chuckle Adan had questioned she’d even be capable of. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As expected, she skimmed over her formal training at an Imperial academy, just mentioning a mentor who showed her the ropes with a nostalgic glint in her eye Adan was glad IT-O was not here to see and inquire about further. But when she got to the present, she opened right back up about her experiences with an X-Wing, singing praises of the robust starfighter. Adan wondered how the other Squad members would react to her bias towards that ship. Chass certainly struck him as a B-Wing purist. Friendly rivalry was, at the very least, a form of bonding though so he let her talk on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>By the time she finished speaking, only sixteen minutes had passed but Adan didn’t have the heart to ask her anything else. So, he concluded the segment, genuinely thanking her for sharing so much. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>As soon as the recorder was returned to dormancy, she stiffened again, avoiding eye contact with a downward gaze. Adan didn't take it personally, wondering if she felt like she shared too much or felt guilty for lying through her teeth for sixteen minutes. Either option wasn’t optimal but one was superior to the other. Regardless, the segment was recorded and he had no plans for a do-over. IT-O did not have a chance to return as Chass nearly ran into the room, a narrow portable speaker tucked under one arm and a fistful of audio chips squeezed in her hand. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve got a few ideas for my bit so just give me a second to set this all up.” The Theelin announced with a sly grin. Adan braced himself, curling his antennae in close to his scalp just in time for high intensity Wookie throat singing to come blaring out of the shockingly loud speaker Chass was trying to wedge up on top of the doorway. “Almost got it!” She screamed over guttural roars, somehow managing to prop it up, and then she sat across from Adan, folding one leg up and wrapping her arms around it, resting her chin on her knee. “Alright, what do you have for me?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan let the song end before he even tried talking, this next track some much more subdued flutes and pipes. He could work with that, so he immediately started the interview before another loud track took over. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>One of IT-O's questions asked about what someone might listen to in different situations, from resting after a mission to celebrating Life Day, so of course this seemed fitting. It was too fitting, in fact, as Chass actually happened to have the chips for all those songs on her. And it turns out that on Life Day, Chass liked to play a Lira Sani folk anthem. “It just fits too well, all the talk of new life and fresh harvests, plus this singer, ugh, her voice just transports me. I can see it in my mind, fields of newly planted crops, the sun rising ready to transform those seeds into a good meal shared by the whole community…” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan was decidedly intrigued and surprised at her knowledge of the incredibly secluded ancestral Lasat home world . “You’ve been to Lira San?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, but I ran into a guy on Yavin 4 who knew a guy who had. Said he wasn’t much for music and already saved all the files to his pad, so he gave me this chip to ‘continue to spread word of the Lasat species survival’. Real weird guy, think he was in cahoots with Syndulla’s crew. Anyways, it struck more of a chord with me than the man did, so here we are.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan’s antenna twitched at hearing that tidbit of information. There was only one person in the whole Rebellion who fit that bill. So Chass had run into someone he knew best as a Fulcrum agent, one of a few who truly turned the tides of the war for the rebellion, and found him so unremarkable she’d not even remembered his name? It would probably be best to leave him as just an anecdote in this story, though, unless he wanted the whole audiocast taken down by the New Republic for releasing classified information. Changing the topic, he corralled Chass into another event, and thus another genre of music, and four minutes later it was time. After a Weequay space shanty, he ended Chass’ segment before she assaulted him with another track and she instead played them out with a rather airy ballad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was actually pretty fun, Adan. Let’s have all our meetings like this from now on, huh?” Chass joked before taking her equipment back down and leaving the room. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wyl, it seemed, had been waiting in the hall. “Hey,” he greeted softly, and surprisingly, it was him who twisted the chair around before sitting, straddling the back of it between his legs. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Hello, Wyl.” Adan reached for the audio recorder, but a pale hand wrapped around his own, stopping him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Before we begin, I’m more than happy to talk about my time in the Rebellion and New Republic, but I don’t want to discuss Home on the record.” The hardened expression on his boyish features warned Adan not to argue, so he just agreed and Wyl practically melted into his seat. “Ok, thanks.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Scratching his original plan, Adan selected a new question at random as he began the recording. “So, what do you look for in a romantic partner.” As soon as the words left his lips, Adan cringed internally. What was IT-O thinking including that? But, Wyl played along with it. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, I really don’t think I have a type, but I tend to fall for tall beings. Sonogari was a whole head above me! He practically had to squat down to kiss me!” He had a little chuckle that sounded more lonely than glad. “It’s a shame about Riot squad. We made a great team…” Wyl launched into a story about Endor, but not about the Death Star run itself, rather about the hours before. How Riot had passed the time helping maintenance teams prepare ships and munitions, and going over schematics and enemy tactics. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>But then he circled back to more recent events. “Yeah, I miss them all every day. But I’m glad to have my new Alphabet family. We support each other as best as we can, and I hope to be there for them just as much.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan just nodded along, knowing Wyl was sugar coating the situation somewhat, but maybe not as much as if he’d been asked about this before Pandem Nai. The experience had been horrible, traumatic, and a huge loss on all fronts, but such things tended to bring the survivors closer together. As Wyl listed off other generic traits (soulful eyes, a caring personality, good sense of humor, and so on), he continued to go off on tangents as he remembered different sentients he'd known with such traits and carried the conversation for the most part. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Every now and then, he’d ask Adan about his own preferences to which the Balosaur simply responded that he hadn’t thought about such things in a long time. And it was true, working in Intelligence led to a full schedule, and personal relationships were not encouraged in the ranks. Adan usually found himself spending his nights alone with IT-O and his drinks stash. Every once in a while, he’d indulge in a cigarra, but he’d not been able to acquire one in quite some time on the Loadestar. Contraband here was of a more edible variety, fruits from Ryloth and chocolates making up the majority of it, and after a while Adan stopped checking. IT-O said it was good to kick the habit, but Adan knew the next time he was planetside he’d keep an eye out for a smoke shop. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Before he knew it, Wyl’s time was up and once they reached a good stopping point, Adan ended the conversation. Once off the record, Wyl mentioned that he was excited to see what the other squadron members had discussed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>There was a knock at the door then, and it opened to reveal Nath and Chass flanking Kairos, the woman standing there looking surprisingly uncomfortable. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Come in, we’re done.” Wyl said, getting out of the chair to make more space in the tiny room. The trio entered, Yrica joining as well in the rear, and the storeroom felt like a pre mission briefing from the old Rebellion days, every inch occupied. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Kairos hesitantly sat across from Adan, looking around the room from behind her visor like a caught bounty hunter brought to tribunal. Nath clapped a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t worry, sister, we’ve got a plan. Start that recorder, Adan.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan did as asked, and one by one the squadron members spoke about Kairos. There were no personal details revealed, just acts celebrated and memories recalled. Nath reveled about her skilled gunmanship, perhaps getting a little too touchy as she gently pulled his hand away from her arm but it seemed her spirits had not been dampened. Yrica praised her dedication to the cause with a wistful tone that Adan could tell was nearly a longing for the same sort of instinctual loyalty to find a way into her own heart. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Wyl spoke about the complex maneuvers she was so skilled at performing. “She pulled off things in a U-Wing that my A-Wing could barely handle on a good day, especially in atmosphere!” Nath managed to slip in a joke about how talking to your ship won’t make it behave any better, atmosphere or not, to poke fun at Wyl, but Wyl held his own with a retort about it being lonely without a droid, knowing perfectly well that Naths T-5 liked him better. Kairos grunted in assent, nodding her head once. Wyl went in for a high-five, stopped himself before his hand could descent very far, but Kairos made up the distance and for once Nath’s smirk became something a bit warmer. Finally, Chass clapped her hands together. “Kairos keeps us all grounded, even in the air. I know she’s got our backs, and we’ve got hers!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan couldn't be entirely sure due to the visor, but from the sound Kairos made she seemed content, at the least. She wasn’t an emotional woman, but such a gesture had to mean something to her. And he could practically see IT-O happily bobbing as the droid listened in at this development. All in all, it only amounted to seven minutes of content, but it was more than expected on the topic of the mysterious Kairos. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Afterwards, the Squad went off to work on their ships, two of which were still not space-worthy just yet, and Adan sat down with IT-O to edit the audio together into something coherent. Of course, IT-O had to make a comment that so far, its idea was turning out to be helpful for the whole squad. Adan could not help but agree, reflecting back on the whole experience. There had certainly been some hiccups, but overall it seemed to have been a positive interaction for everyone involved. As he listened to the recordings, he realized that maybe he was also a part of the ‘everyone’ who benefited. With Nath, his delivery had been forced, practiced pleasantries and such, but by the time he got around to Wyl there was more inflection to his tone. He sounded interested in what the man had to say, and he genuinely had been. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Thank you for doing this.” IT-O concluded as they uploaded the final cut to Adan’s datapad. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, now we just have to find someone to air this.” And after many, many comms, Adan finally sourced a buyer, Correl-Audio-Net, and got a meager sum in exchange for the episode after recording a brief promotional clip for some brand of caf he’d never tasted before, praising it’s robust flavor and full-body perk up. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>A week after recording, the Alphabet Squadron Audiocast made its debut. Unfortunately, only an hour after the episode was published, it was taken down. Maybe Chass had said too much? The notice he received simply told him to stop, and Adan had no intention of looking into the matter, so he just took the credits and ran. Ran right to Nath, that is, with his cut(minus the advance he'd handed over, of course), and also five audio chips with the now-banned Alphabet Squadron Audiocast saved onto them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We already heard it, Chass made sure of that, but thanks. Glad to have a back up.” Nath said with a wink before joining the rest of the squad under the exposed belly of a U-Wing.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Adan left the pilots to it, and would let IT-O handle anything that came next, not that there would be any drama, it seemed. For now, it was time for a run down planetside to investigate a potential fuel supplier for Alphabet, and maybe, a chance to finally find a smoke shop.</span>
</p>
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